


Tell Me to Stay

by peachcitt



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, One Shot, established reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 18:31:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19234744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachcitt/pseuds/peachcitt
Summary: “I got a job offer in New York.” The night was peaceful, and they were sitting on the top of a roof, looking down over the city. When Marinette thought about how she would tell him, she had gone through a million possibilities, but decided this was the best.A heavy silence passed, and then it was gone. Adrien looked over at her with that sad smile she hated. “That’s amazing, Marinette. I’m so proud of you.”ormarinette takes a job in new york. no one told her to stay





	Tell Me to Stay

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy :)

“I got a job offer in New York.” The night was peaceful, and they were sitting on the top of a roof, looking down over the city. When Marinette thought about how she would tell him, she had gone through a million possibilities, but decided this was the best.

A heavy silence passed, and then it was gone. Adrien looked over at her with that sad smile she hated. “That’s amazing, Marinette. I’m so proud of you.”

“I never said I was going to take the offer.” She wouldn’t look at him, only staring down at the city illuminated by streetlights and its own magic.

“What? It’s a great opportunity. A once in a lifetime chance.”

She looked down at her lap, and then at the cloudy sky, where only a few stars winked at her.  _Tell me to stay. Tell me not to go._ She counted all the stars she could see before she answered.

“You’re right.”

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

Adrien had no business being sad. Marinette deserved to live her own life without being held back by… whatever it was that they had. After they’d taken off their masks in front of each other, they had a strange and unspoken relationship where they touched and were closer to each other, but there was always a line. Always a line that Adrien wanted to cross, but never did.

He regretted it now.

She stood by her bed, packing the last of her things into her suitcase and her duffel bag. “I don’t know how busy I’ll be,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Not to mention the time difference.”

“Six hours,” Adrien said, his heart hurting.

For a moment, she froze, and her shoulders hunched, but then she straightened, placing her hands on her hips. She wouldn’t look at him. “Yes. Six hours.”

The silence was thick enough to choke them.

Marinette lifted a hand, swiping it quickly across her face, and Adrien did the same, wiping away the stray tears. She turned around, placing a grin on her face. Her eyes looked wet. “You sure you can handle Paris without me?”

He returned her smile, even though it hurt to even breathe. “I’m quite capable, you know.”

Her smile faltered, but she regained it within a heartbeat. “That’s what I like to hear.” An alarm beeped on her phone, and her shoulders drew up, anxiety making her lose her smile for real. “Are you sure you can’t say goodbye at the airport?” she asked, her voice small and unsteady.

“My father insisted,” he said, his voice tight.  _And I don’t think I’d be able to handle it if I saw you go._ “I’m sorry.”

She was blinking fast now, but she managed to give him a weak smile. She held her arms out, and he nearly ran across the room, wrapping her in a tight hug. “I’ll call as soon as I get the chance,” she promised, her voice muffled from having her face pressed into his chest.

“Good luck in New York, Marinette,” he whispered, and he kissed the top of her head. He gave her one last tight squeeze before he let her go.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, and Adrien almost lost it right there. He almost begged her to stay. But he didn’t.

Instead he gave her a smile. “Knowing you, you’ll do amazing. You won’t even need luck.”

He helped her load her things into her parents’ car, and he gave her one last hug before she left. He walked to his car, and he drove home in silence. It was only during the commute to his photo shoot when he let himself cry.

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

The photo shoot ended early. He was home before he expected to be, and the first thing he thought was maybe he could still meet Marinette at the airport.

He pushed the speed limit as he hurried to the air port, praying he’d get there in time.

Alya and Nino were walking out of the airport with Marinette’s parents just as Adrien arrived. He was breathless and shaking, but he looked at them wildly. “Marinette?” he asked, not trusting himself to say anything else.

Tom and Sabine looked at each other, then at him. Nino shook his head. Alya was the one who confirmed his fears. “Her plane just left, Adrien.”

“I’m really sorry, bro,” Nino said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

His head dropped, and he felt his throat close. Tears gushed out of his eyes and snot dripped from his nose. He felt Sabine wrap him in a hug.

“I was too late,” he whispered. “Too late.”

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

They tried to keep in touch. They really did. But it was never the right time. Both of them were always busy and always tired from the long days they had. It got to the point where they only contacted each other once every couple of weeks.

Adrien quit modeling. He ended up working full-time at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and he found out he liked photography as long as he wasn’t the one being photographed.

Marinette loved her job, truly. But friends in New York were hard to come by, especially since everyone regarded her as some god-like figure. She missed Paris, she missed her friends, her parents, Adrien.

Three years passed and Marinette wasn’t able to come home even once.

Her parents told Adrien about all the things Marinette was doing, since she had called them in the little breaks she was given. Adrien listened, and he couldn’t help but notice that Tom and Sabine looked tired.

Alya told Marinette all the things Adrien was doing, since she rarely went to sleep at healthy times and was able to stay up late at night to talk with Marinette. The day Marinette left was a taboo topic, and Alya could never bring herself to tell Marinette that Adrien had tried so hard to see her. She thought it would only hurt her.

Both Adrien and Marinette tried to date other people, but they found that no one could fill the deep hole in their hearts.

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

“I think… I think I’m going to quit.” Alya almost dropped her mug of tea.

It was three in the morning in Paris, eight in the morning in New York. Alya had come in late from a reporting job and had seen the text from Marinette saying that she needed to talk about something important.

_“What?”_

Marinette sighed heavily, blowing static into the phone. “I’m not happy, Alya. I love my job, but it’s not as exciting as it used to be. I’m tired of being so far away from everyone.”

Trying to regain her composure, Alya took a sip of her tea, thinking hard. “If you’re really that unsatisfied, then no one’s stopping you. But Marinette, you have to have a plan for when you come back.”

“I know.” She took a deep breath. “I know.”

“That job is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“It was.” Alya didn’t miss the bitterness in Marinette’s voice. “But there will be more opportunities. In fact, I’ve gotten more than a few job offers. Including some in Paris.”

Alya took a deep breath, setting the mug on the counter. “If you’re heart is set in Paris, then we’re all waiting for you.”

Marinette’s chest tightened. “I hope so.”

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

Jet lag made Marinette want to sleep for two days straight. But she stayed awake, hauling her stuff into Alya and Nino’s apartment and yawning tiredly. She’d kept her return a secret from her parents, wanting to surprise them.

Of course, there was another reason she hadn’t told them. She didn’t know if she could handle them telling Adrien before she was ready to face him.

“Coffee?”

“Of course.” Alya bustled off to the kitchen, leaving Marinette with Nino.

“Are you going to talk to him?” Nino asked, leaning against the couch as Marinette plopped down on the cushions.

“I have to.”

Nino nodded, and he fiddled with the strap of her duffel bag. “I know it’s been years, but I don’t think it’s fair to keep this to ourselves forever.” He paused, and he glanced over to the kitchen, where Alya was measuring out the instant coffee grounds. “We didn’t tell you before because we were afraid we’d just make you upset, but…” He trailed off, seeming to have a debate with himself.

“What didn’t you guys tell me?”

“The day you left… Adrien came to the airport.”

Suddenly Marinette was wide awake. “What?”

“He finished the shoot early, and he wanted to see you off.”

Something in her heart that had been dormant for a long time fluttered to life. “But we had already said goodbye.”

There was something about the expression on Nino’s face that said he knew more than he was actually telling her. “There must’ve been something he wanted to say.”

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

Marinette met with her parents a couple days later, after she’d had the opportunity to rest up. They had dinner together, caught up with each other, maybe shed a few tears.

She walked back to the bakery with them, but before they could all go inside, she froze. “Adrien… He works for you guys now, right?”

“He does,” Tom said, nodding happily. “A great worker, you know.”

Sabine seemed to understand her daughter’s hesitance on entering the bakery. “He’s probably already gone home,” she said softly, poking Tom’s side just the slightest so that he’d get the point.

“Is it true?” Marinette asked, still eyeing the door. “He went to the airport the day I left?” Sabine pursed her lips, looking up at Tom, whose expression softened immediately as he started to understand.

“He went,” Tom confirmed. “But he was too late to actually see you off. It… hurt him a lot.” Marinette swallowed, taking a step back from the bakery.

“It was great seeing you, and I promise I’ll come by again, but I…” She trailed off, giving her parents a pleading look. “I’m really tired. I should go back to Alya and Nino’s.”

 

 

**_—_ **

 

 

Tom and Sabine had given Adrien the day off. Lately they seemed a lot happier, and their tired expressions they had worn for so long had started to ease. The bakery was closing for the rest of the day, and Adrien assumed it was for a date night.

Despite the fact that Adrien had no need to be in the bakery, he was still there. He was lounging in the back of the bakery, sitting with his back against the wall. There was something more soothing about being inside the bakery and looking at his most recent shots than it would be if he were just looking at them at his apartment.

His shots were starting to take off. What with being Chat Noir, who could scale walls and buildings with ease, it wasn’t hard for him to find the right angle. People were paying for his  _work,_ not his face.

He looked away from the camera, staring up at the ceiling.

Three years.

Three years and he was still madly in love with her.

He hadn’t talked to her in weeks, but there was a deep ache in his chest. Often times at night, he would lay awake and wonder what would’ve happened if he had just disobeyed his father and ditched the shoot. God knows he did so often after she left.

The lights were off in the bakery. The only light, really, was coming from the soft glow of the streetlamps outside and the sinking sun over the city of Paris. Otherwise known as the city where Marinette wasn’t.

From where he sat, he could see the glass door of the bakery. He could see some people as they walked or rode past the bakery, and the scene was perfect.

He raised his camera, focusing on the doorway. Focusing on the backwards cursive writing, the soft light from outside, the toned down color scheme of the bakery. It was like the bright colors from outside were slicing a hole into the bakery, trying to crawl in.

Just as he had gotten the focusing perfect, someone stepped into the doorway. He kept his camera up and watched her through his lens. He watched her take out a key and unlock the door. He watched her step inside the bakery, sweeping her bright blue eyes across the deserted shop. Just before her eyes could land on him, he snapped a picture.

She was picture perfect, just like he remembered.

Her eyes were drawn to the clicking sound of his camera, and he lowered it from his face, his hands shaking.

Both of them had changed in some ways. Her hair was longer, and she was wearing it down, though her bangs were still there. He had given up on wearing designer clothes made by his father, instead choosing to wear plain shirts and ratty tennis shoes. She wore a skirt and a pair of small heels. He’d given up on trying to make his hair neat.

But there were some things that hadn’t changed. She still wore a pair of earrings, he still wore a ring. She still had that twinkle in her eyes, he still had those lips that always seemed to be turned up just the slightest. She could still recognize the warmth in his eyes and he could still recognize her confident posture.

“Hey,” Marinette said, the word a breath that drifted through the bakery and slid comfortably in his heart.

“Hi,” Adrien said, his lips turning up into a small smile despite everything. “You didn’t say you were coming back.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” She hesitantly walked over to where he sat and lowered herself directly in front of him. “I didn’t know you were into photography.”

“I like it better than modeling.” She nodded, and he mustered up the courage to ask the question that had immediately popped into his mind the moment he saw her. “How long are you staying?”

“Forever.”

Adrien almost lost grip of his camera. “You mean you quit the job? Why?”

Marinette took the camera from his hands, examining it as she spoke. “I missed the city, my parents, Alya and Nino…” She trailed off, looking up at him. “You.”

He choked back a rush of emotion, hiding it behind a smile. The sad smile that Marinette hated. “I missed you, too.”

It was as if they were wearing masks again and were trying to hide who they were. Marinette hated seeing that sad smile, and Adrien hated not being able to tell her everything.

“Why are you here instead of home?” she asked after a moment, turning the camera slowly in her hands. “Maman and Papa said they gave you the day off.”

Adrien shrugged, watching her turn the camera. “I like it here. It’s comfortable.” He reached for the camera, and their hands touched. It was a moment before he took the camera, pulling up his past shots. “And besides,” he said, showing her the picture of her, “the scene is great.”

She stared at the shot, her mouth open just the slightest. “That’s me?”

“Why are you surprised?” he asked, looking at the shot, too. He saw no difference between the Marinette in the picture and the Marinette in real life.

She ran her fingertip lightly over the screen. “It’s just so beautiful… I almost didn’t recognize myself.”

“It’s beautiful because you’re beautiful.”

Her cheeks reddened before she shook her head. “That’s not… I meant the angle, the lighting, all of it, really. I saw really good photographers in New York, and this is exactly like those people’s shots, if not better.”

It was his turn to blush. “Just a hobby,” he muttered, turning off the camera.

A silence descended over them, but it wasn’t tense or uncomfortable. It was as if there were a million things they wanted to say, and they were only trying to figure out what should come first.

“Did you really go to the airport when I left?” Marinette asked, her voice tentative and soft.

He felt his chest tighten, and he nodded. “Yeah. But I was too late.”

“Why did you go?”

“I should ask you the same thing,” he said, looking up at her and giving her that sad smile she hated. “Why did you go, Marinette?”

She blinked. And then tears gathered in her eyes, remembering sitting on a rooftop over a city full of magic. “No one told me to stay.”

“We didn’t want to hold you back,” he said, referring to his own thoughts more than anyone else’s.

“But I wanted someone to tell me to stay,” she said, knowing full well the words were selfish. “I would’ve stayed if someone asked me to.”

There was a moment in which they looked at each other, and three years worth of confusion and hurt passed between them.

“I love you,” Adrien blurted, his grip on his camera tight. “And I don’t want you to go ever again. I want you to stay.”

“A-as in, you  _l-love me_  love me?” Marinette stuttered, her cheeks reddening. Old habits die hard.

“Yeah.” Adrien was blushing up to his ears. She leaned forward, giving him a soft and sweet kiss that lasted a lot shorter than either of them wanted.

“I love you, too," she whispered, and she kissed him. 

She was finally home. And she was never going to leave again.

**Author's Note:**

> an old (and edited) work from my writing tumblr @pessimistic-writer
> 
> thanks for reading <3


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